Second Wind
by Rose of the Nile
Summary: Two Assassins have come from the south to help train Connor. As wary as he is of this, there is something about them. They seem to have a strange connection with him - and his father. They have their own goals to accomplish while training Connor though, goals that may clash with Connor's own belief's. Sequel to Another Hope. EdwardxMary; other pairings tba.
1. Mentor

**I. Mentor**

 _September, 1770_

"Connor" A voice stirred him and he looked up upon hearing the name given to him by his Mentor. That seemed a strong word for the old, broken man he had found, but it was what it was and he was good at accepting what was. He had only been practicing writing in English. It wasn't as easy as one might have thought, but he knew he had to know how to read and write perfectly. He already knew how to speak English well, but he had never been taught to read it or write it. Achilles appeared in the doorway of the kitchen and he stood, pushing the paper away.

"I'm coming" He said simply, walking towards the older man.

"Today or sometime soon, there will be guests arriving" Achilles told him, leaning heavily on his cane. Connor opened his mouth to ask who and why but he was beat to it, an annoyed look coming over Achilles' face. "They are Assassins coming to assist us from far away"

"How far?"

"That's not the point; the point is you'll show these two even more respect than you show me, boy. They're both accomplished Assassins, even within our Order and the one was serving as the Mentor of the Assassins in their region until they set off to assist us – or _you_."

The way Achilles spoke made it sound as if they were coming just to help him. But that couldn't be…? "How do they know about me?"

"We've been communicating for some time now. " Connor could sense he was going to get no more out of the old man or if he did, it would come out painfully and at a price. He dropped the subject and returned to his writings. Achilles wandered off to do whatever it was that he did. Connor looked about the manor. They had restored it while Robert Faulkner was set to fix the ship down below in the bay. It was coming along nicely and he was told that any day now, it would be finished and ready to sail.

He wasn't sure how it would be an asset but he was sure that would come to light eventually.

He worked for maybe an hour more and stood, planning to get something to eat or something. He checked his wrists, here his hidden blades were strapped, almost as if he forgot they were there. They were such a natural part of him now, though it had only been a few months since he had gotten them. Just as he was about to clean up his work so he could make some food, Achilles stepped into the room once more.

"They're here."

"What? I thought you said 'sometime soon'" He was a little shocked. How could they be here, already?

"They had sent a bird ahead to say they would be arrive shortly if winds were kind. They were kind" Achilles began to limp away, towards the door. Connor followed him and out the door. They stood on the edge of the cliffs and watched a ship pull gracefully into the bay, onto the far side, clearing enough room for Faulkner's ship to leave if she wished.

It was an old ship, but her sails were proud and Connor could see people moving about her deck, many of the dressed in the traditional white of the Assassins. Achilles turned and walked away, leaving Connor to stand by himself, saying something about having to walk all the way down the hill. Connor stood a moment longer, watching as a boat was cast from the main ship and began to row its way slowly across the bay.

He turned then and hurried after Achilles who had made his way down to the shore in the time between. The two of them stood and waited for the little row boat to reach them. It seemed to take forever but before long, the two Assassins were walking towards them. As Connor got a better look at them, he realized that they were old and yet he had a hard time figuring out exactly what age either of them were.

The man walked tall and straight yet, his gait even and well-paced. His hair was Pale blonde, but mostly white, pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck; he had a well-managed and short beard, which was mostly white on its own, sandy blonde patches here and there. His shoulders were broad and even under the layers of his robes, Connor could see he was yet a strong man. His skin was tan and he could see several scars upon the man's face and hands and while his face showed some sign of his age, his eyes were bright and alert, though they were focused on Connor.

The woman was much the same; she had what had to be once dark hair, lightened with time and age. It was long enough to be in a short braid that was thrown across her shoulder. She dressed much like a man, in trousers instead of the skirts that most woman seemed to prefer. While her face had some wrinkles on it, just as the man's did, the most striking feature of her face was the scar over her one eye that had partially destroyed the eyebrow it cut through. It was this scar that led him to look into her dark brown eyes, which were so fierce it was a wonder than he did not flinch away from her. Her eyes met his and then there was a sudden sadness in them. He was shocked by that as well. No sooner had he saw it than it was gone from her strict face.

The two of them walked up, arms linked gently, clearly speaking of a romantic relationship. Not that Connor had much mind on those, but he could tell that they were probably together in some form or another.

"It is good to see you are well Achilles" The man said, inclining his head ever so slightly.

"It's just nice to have some help training this boy." Achilles grumbled.

"We'll do what we can." The woman's voice was low and deeper than most women's but it wasn't unpleasant. Connor looked at her again, at the way she held herself. He found himself curious about her and the man next to her. Who were they? Assassins clearly from their robes and yet…

The two looked towards him again. "I'm Edward and this is my wife, Mary. I'm sure Achilles told you that we're Assassins from the south, come up north to help train you."

He nodded, a little stiffly. "Don't just stand there. Introduce yourself" Achilles seemed tense, but Connor couldn't guess why.

"My name is Connor." He said simply, not knowing what else to say.

"Connor?" Edward looked towards Achilles who avoided his gaze. "I'm worried for you old, friend"

"It shouldn't be me you're worried for. You shouldn't even be here." Achilles looked towards them, his mouth set into a bitter frown. "He doesn't know mercy."

"Who?" Connor asked but Achilles silence him with a glare.

"I would say he would, considering you're still standing before us." Mary spoke now, her brown eyes focused on Achilles. "He couldn't…" She cut off and she turned her eyes back to Connor. He didn't know what she was looking for but she must have found it because she glanced at Edward. "See what the boy knows. We need to know what we have to work with" She didn't say it cruelly, just matter-of-factly.

"What will you do?" Edward asked.

"I have to talk to Achilles." She walked towards the old man and took his arm, allowing him to lean on her instead of his cane. Together they began to walk towards the house. They didn't speak, but Connor felt they were doing that to purposefully keep him out of their conversation. He didn't really blame Achilles, not really. The man didn't ever want to talk about anything in front of Connor. He wasn't sure if Achilles didn't trust him or…

Edward commanded his attention though and he turned to look at the old man before him. Edward had chilling blue eyes and as they regarded Connor, he would say they were sad. He didn't know what to say so he didn't say anything. He waited for Edward to speak but he did not. Eventually a small smile came upon Edward's face.

"You are patient." He said simply.

"It took time to convince Achilles to train me" He replied. Edward frowned and nodded, looking towards the ground.

"You have to understand what he has lost." Connor understood. "You may think you understand, but…he's lost everything. His wife, his child, his friends, his brothers and sisters. He was left here to rot. Do you understand?"

Connor thought he understood. He tried to, but it was hard to imagine. He already knew his namesake – or at least his English one. It wasn't hard to connect the dots with the graves on the property even if Achilles would never actually speak of them. He was a stubborn old man but with Edward putting it as he had, Connor could almost understand.

"Now, then" Suddenly, Edward's face was a bright smile, clearly ready to move on to another subject. Before he could even open his mouth, Faulkner came walking towards them. Edward turned to look at him and Robert stopped and looked a long moment at the elder Assassin.

"Whose this here, boy?" Edward asked him.

"Robert Faulkner" Robert introduced himself, seeming wary. "And who are you?"

"You can call me Edward, mate"

"That accent…" Robert's eyes went from Edward to Connor and then back. He seemed to mentally shake himself before heading towards Connor once more. "I came to get you, lad. The _Aquila_ is ready and I figured you'd want to inspect her" He motioned to where the ship sat, at the docks, ready to set sail.

Connor nodded but then glanced at Edward. "No, no, let's go inspect this ship" He suggested and soon the three of them were walking towards the ship. They walked towards the ship together and Robert walked confidently onto the ship.

"Come aboard and feast your eyes, boy!" He seemed proud and Connor took a step towards the ship but Robert swung his arms down, crying "No, no, no, no, not the left foot!" Connor froze in his tracks, wondering what he was doing wrong. "Never the left foot! Horrible luck! Step with your right foot first!"

Connor glanced at Edward who seemed amused and then Connor made the needed adjustment, stepping onto the ship, right foot first. These men could be so strange sometimes. He didn't understand it, but he had never really expected to.

"She is…solid" He didn't know what else to say. He had never been on such a ship. Edward was walking around, looking at different parts of the ship. From the way he walked, it was clear that he was a sailor. He belonged on a ship.

"Aye. Weatherly and sleek. She'll fetch twelve knots in a stiff gale, ne'er a ship from here to Singapore can outrun her on her best day" Robert spoke proudly of the ship, his hands on his hips. Connor tried to pretend he understood everything he was saying. To be truthful, though he studied many subjects, ships and their bearings was not one of them he often looked at.

"She is a beauty." Edward said, rounding back towards them. "Shall we take her out so that I can see her in action?"

"Where would we go?" Connor asked.

"As it happens" Robert said, glancing between Connor and Edward, "she still needs guns and officers to command them. We'll launch straight away!" Connor opened his mouth to protest. He had limited experience on a ship and his...what were they called? His...His sea legs, that was it! His sea legs were not so sturdy and he could already feel the ship rolling slightly underneath him.

"Don't worry lad, you'll sprout good sea legs in time. It only took me less than a week to get used to the rolling of the sea" Edward assured him. "Once you get them, you'll never forget."

Robert grinned. "It's settled! Haul in the mainsail! Get up the rigging! Hand over fist! Come on, men! Let's get her out where she needs to be!" The men began to swarm, preparing the ship to leave. Connor looked at Edward.

"I hope you don't mind if I'm tempted to try my hand at the wheel, Mister Faulkner" He said to Robert. "And I hope you don't mind if I don't take charge of teaching Connor the basics of sailing after he gets his sea legs."

"I wouldn't mind at all." Robert said, surprising Connor. He looked between the two men.

"Have you sailed, Edward?" He asked.

"I've spent more time at sea than I have on land, I think" He said with a laugh. "You'll do well enough on the ship I'm sure" It lurched as it began to move and Edward caught him as he stumbled. Another laugh passed the old man's lips and he gave Connor a rough pat on the back. "Give it time lad, give it time"

And Connor did. Within the first two days of setting sail, he wasn't stumbling half as bad when he walked and when he stood still, the rocking of the boat hardly bothered him. He often, in this time, saw Robert and Edward talking to each other. They seemed like old friends and he wondered if they had known each other before. He didn't ask, seeing as it wasn't his place.

Edward spent a lot of time at the wheel as well. He sailed easily and he often heard Robert boasting of how well Edward sailed (almost as well as Robert himself, to hear tell of it). Connor itched to take the wheel into his own hands and steer it. He had never done so but he just had a feeling of how to steer the ship. He watched the men work the sails, tie their knots and he itched to do that as well. There was just something about the salty air and sound of the sea that called to him.

Edward found him staring off into the sea on the fourth day of their journey. He said nothing, but came to stand besides Connor.

"Enjoying the view, lad?" Edward asked.

"There is something calming about being at sea" He just gave his honest answer, seeing no reason to lie.

"There is. The sea can be a fickle lover, but I'll always hold a tenderness for her. My first wife could never understand that…"

"You were married? Before Mary, I mean"

"Yes. We both have past marriages. That's just a part of life though I suppose." He shrugged. "Mary understands though. You probably saw; she's not a normal woman." There was a fond smile on his face as he said that and Connor could see he loved his wife very much.

"She must have been proud that her husband was once a Mentor then"

"Oh, no lad. You got that wrong. I wasn't the Mentor, _she_ was." Connor was a little surprised but then he remembered the fierceness in her eyes and didn't doubt Edward. "She's been an Assassin longer than I have. Years longer…well…" He sighed. "That's complicated actually"

"How?" Connor was curious.

"I…I honestly don't even know how to explain it" Edward smiled at Connor, a sort of grim smile. Connor couldn't explain it, but somehow the look in Edward's eyes at that moment reminded him of his Spirit Journey, the vision that promoted him to come and find the Assassins. He had a feeling Edward saw something in his eyes because he narrowed his own blue eyes for a moment and then turned away a little bit.

Just then the rough voices of the crew rose over them, singing some shanty. It seemed to serve as a distraction for both of them and it was a much needed one. They looked at each other and there was a unspoken word between them that they both knew something, something that not many others did.

Connor could only wonder what it meant for him. He would have to question Edward later, he knew that for sure. Edward turned away and motioned for Connor to follow him. He did, following him towards the wheel.

"Let's teach you how to sail this beauty, eh, lad?"

* * *

And so I've finally published the first chapter to Another Hope's sequel. I've been without internet for some time so this has been sitting on my computer a while. Now, there are some issues to attend to; obviously I'm going to somewhat follow the major events of the third game, but I plan to try and rip myself away from that timeline, as interesting as it is. I have my own goals to accomplish here. And I wanted to ask everyone opinion of a romantic interest for Connor. It wouldn't happen for some time, but I didn't know if that's something anyone is interested in. I mean I have Mary and Edward together, maybe Connor deserves love by the story's end too? If anyone has any ideas for a romantic interest for him, I'd be willing to hear them out. Or if you guys think he should stay single the entire story too, that's fine as well. Honestly, a romantic interest for him isn't going to be a huge deal either way, just sort of a secondhand thought on my part.

Anyway, that's all for now. Thank you for reading!


	2. Lessons

**II. Lessons**

Stepping off the ship and onto dry land felt almost odd to Connor. They had been gone for three weeks, getting guns for the ship and Edward had taught him to sail. Edward, he found, was a skilled sailor and the man commented that Connor was a natural. A sad look had come over his face and Connor had not understood. He had said nothing though. Edward was a mysterious man, but he was a skilled Assassin and a very skilled sailor. He had learned, however, on the trip that Edward had been sailing since he was seventeen and had never really quit since. He had a love of the sea and Connor could understand after being on it so long as well.

They walked back to the manor together, Edward looking at the land really for the first time. He seemed content as they walked but he stopped halfway up the hill, almost as he had remembered something. Connor stopped a few steps ahead of him.

"Fuck" He cursed. "I forgot to tell Mary before we left"

"Will she be mad?" Connor had to ask.

"She'll be right pissed. Well, might as well go and face the storm now rather than later…" He sighed and began walking up the hill once more, but his shoulders sagged ever so slightly. Connor followed behind him. The house was just in sight when Mary caught sight of the two of them. He saw her bristle and Edward let out a deep sigh.

"Where the hell have you been?" She growled at him as she got closer. Edward held his hands up in surrender.

"I took the lad out and began training him in the ways of sailing." He explained.

"You could have told me! Rot! Edward, I was worried sick." Her face softened. "Its not safe. Not anymore. We have to be careful. Remember where we are"

"I know, Mary. Believe me, I bloody well know" The two of them seemed to remember he was there at that moment and glanced over at him. Mary put her one hand on her hip, a frown creasing her face.

"Well, let's get you inside, boy. Achilles needs to talk to you" It was Connor's turn to sigh. He had not told the old man that he was leaving and he was sure he would hear it from him.

The three of them walked inside and found Achilles in the sitting room, waiting for them. His face was dark. "Three weeks" The old man said to him, both hands on his cane, his eyes narrowed and annoyed. "And not even a goodbye before you left"

Connor's shoulders sagged and he suddenly felt very bad. "Sorry…" Was all he could muster. The old man stared him down for another long moment before sighing and shaking his head. He began to walk out of the room, pausing at the doorway.

"Well?" He prompted "What are you waiting for?"

He turned to follow Achilles, figuring he had something to show or tell him. To his surprise, Mary and Edward followed along. The four of them made their way down to the basement of the manor and Achilles stopped before the robes, looking at them with a reverence. Connor remembered the first time he had saw them, he had wanted to put them on straight away but he could not. He was only a trainee and Achilles was old fashioned.

"Put them on" He said and it surprised Connor so much he hesitated. Mary nodded her encouragement and he saw a sort of pride in Edward's eyes. Connor took the robes and went to the backroom, changing into them and returning to the waiting Assassins. They were a little big on him yet, but no doubt he would grow into them.

"Once upon a time we had ceremonies on such occasions" Achilles told him. He glanced at Edward and Mary, pausing as if they might want to say something. When they didn't, he went on. "But I don't think either of us are really the type for that. You've your tools and training. Your targets and goals. And now you have your title. Welcome to the Brotherhood, Connor"

He had to smile because he felt such pride in himself at that moment. He had done it. It had taken so long but he had earned his way into the Brotherhood. Achilles was right though; he had his tools and targets; his goals and training. He had a lot to do and it felt like no time to do it. He was nervous but he knew he was not alone. He looked at the three elder Assassins before him, knowing he could depend on them for support. Finally he nodded, bowing his head ever so slightly.

"Thank you" He said simply.

"I hope you're not going to say anything like 'I won't rest until they're all dead'" Achilles gruffed.

"No." Connor turned away, towards the paintings on the wall of the Templars he had to kill. He felt Mary come to stand beside him and he knew she was looking up at Haytham Kenway – his father. She looked down suddenly and turned away, walking quickly up the stairs.

"Mary!" Edward called and he went to the foot of the stairs. He heard Edward curse and then his footsteps followed her's. Connor folded his hands together, wringing them as he looked at the paintings, worrying over his future. He would not allow any of these men to escape alive, but he was having trouble even knowing where to start.

He knew that he had to stop them all at one point, but as he looked at his father a longing reared its head in his heart; a longing to just _have_ a father. He had never known his, but his mother had been the fierce sort and saw that he had brought up just as any young boy would have. The other men of the tribe had helped her where they could.

* * *

 _12 October 1773_

Connor spent much of his time in the basement, planning, thinking, trying to figure out who to target first, who he could find information on first and other such things. Information, he felt, was the key to this. He had to gather as much as he could about the men he was hunting. If he made one wrong move, they could easily disarm and destroy the small brotherhood that was sprouting here in the homestead.

More often than not, Mary would join him. She seemed stanch about stopping the Templars in the region. Edward would sometimes join them and he could sense a…difference in their approach to stopping the Templars. While they both wanted them dead…there was something different about Edward's approach. Connor could often see the frustration play out on Mary's face, the anger; even if only lasted the briefest of moments. He didn't say anything to either of them. It was not his place.

That day, however he was alone. He was exercising in the basement for once. He found that exercise cleared his mind and he needed a clear mind. Achilles and Mary joined him in the basement, which was not unusual. Perhaps they had something to say or perhaps they needed something down here.

"Connor" Achilles called. "Spare a moment?"

"Of course" He straightened and walked over to the pair at once. Mary held her hands out to him and in them lay an object wrapped upon itself. He took it and unwrapped it, finding it to be a dagger attached to a long rope. "What is it?" He asked.

"A _Sheng Biso_ " Achilles explained. Connor paced away from the, swinging the dagger end in a rapid circle beside him, amused by it almost.

"A rope dart" Mary inputted, a small smile directed at Achilles. "It was one of the many plans given to the Brotherhood by Shao Jun to-"

She was cut off as he lost his grip on the dagger. It went flying, planting itself in the wall beside Achilles. He didn't look very amused by it and Connor grimaced. "Sorry!"

"Hmm, we'll have to work on this" Though his tone was dry, he didn't actually seem upset. Connor tugged the dagger out of the wall and the three of them headed back up the stairs. "Edward actually knows how to use those quite well…As does Mary."

"Where is Edward?" Connor asked out of curiosity. To think about it, he hadn't seen the man in a day or two.

"Down talking with Robert again, I'd imagine" Mary said, a smile on her face. "The man is more in love with the sea than anything else. He hasn't sailed much in these waters, so he wants to know what they'll be like"

"It's a good idea if he'll be teaching this boy to sail" Achilles agreed. Connor was a little surprised that Edward would be teaching him to sail. He expected Robert to do that, but it had been so clear that Edward was a natural on the sea. Of course he would train him.

"But _I'll_ be teaching you how to handle the rope dart, lad." Mary said. "Ain't no one more fit to teach you but me." Achilles didn't object, so Connor believed her. When they reached the porch of the manor, she led him out by the trees. Achilles stayed a little behind, able to watch but not walking over the hard terrain. Connor realized that his leg was bothering him that day.

There they trained. Mary was a good teacher, stern but not stiff. She saw how he best learned and adjusted her lesson. She had him climb into a tree and use the dart, where she said it was most effective.

"Connor, when you're up there, you're trying to be stealthy. Don't bother climbing a tree if they can see you. It takes too much energy. But if you can get up there do. You can hang a man from a tree. A man hung is a clear warning to all. That much is certain though. Hanging the Templars might teach them a thing or two" She told him.

"Did it teach the pirates anything?" Achilles called.

"It taught them to be wiser." She called back, a cheeky smile on her face. She turned her eyes back to Connor when there was a gunshot. It sounded a mile or two off, but it was shocking. No one hunted on these lands, except for Connor and rare was the day when he used a gun. Hearing one could only be a warning; something foul was in these woods. Connor climbed down from the tree as quickly as he could, knowing whatever it was, he had to check it out.

"Stay here, I'll see what it was" He told Mary and Achilles and he was off before either of them could argue. It didn't take him long to hear hisses of pain and he came into a clearing to find a woman, a few years his elder if he had to range a guess, curled upon the ground. Her arm was bleeding pretty badly and he trotted towards her. Hearing the underbrush crunch under his feet, she looked up. "Are you alright?" He asked her, but realized after it was out of his mouth that it was a stupid question.

"What do you think?" She snapped back. He chose to ignore her tone, she was hurt. She had every right to be a upset; besides it really had been a stupid question.

"How did this happen?" He tried instead.

"Poachers in the woods. I asked them to leave…" She shrugged her bad shoulder and winced in pain. "This was their answer" He knelt by her, trying to get a better look at the injury. It was hard to tell with so much blood about it. He was fairly good with medicine, but Achilles would be better yet.

"Come on, we need to get this looked at" He began to put his arms underneath her but she pushed him away so he hesitated.

"What of the men who did this?"

"They can wait. Your wound cannot" And then he lifted her into his arms, if she liked it or not. He began to walk quickly towards the manor, hoping the injury wasn't as bad as it seemed. "Will you make it to the house? It's not far…"

"Yes. I think the ball took only flesh" He didn't say so, but he was relieved to hear that. He did not know the woman, but that did not mean he wished her harm. He quickened his pace a little though, not wanting to risk it. She hissed in pain and while he would have liked to slow, he kept going.

"What is your name?" He asked her, trying to distract her. "You may call me Connor"

"Myriam" She replied through gritted teeth.

"Do you live nearby?"

"Ah…I don't have a home, per se. I took to the frontier when I was a young girl. Made my life out here ever since – living where the land makes it easiest"

That was odd for a woman. He knew most women to be dependent on men. They lived off what their fathers or husbands made, cooking and cleaning and sometimes working themselves. He knew it was different from his tribe where everyone did their fair share of work for the entire village. Of course, it wasn't that different; men had their roles and women had theirs. Still, the fact that she lived off the land and lived on her own was quite odd.

"Not a common choice for a woman of the Colonies" He decided to point out. She gritted her teeth in pain again and it took her a moment to reply.

"No, no its not. But truth be told, it was this, the convent or the brothels. I prefer the open air"

He had to admit he liked this woman. She was different in a good way, resourceful on her own. He could see the roof of the manor now and knew they were almost there. Mary must have heard him coming because she came through the trees. When she saw Myriam in his arms she was clearly worried by the sight.

"What happened?" She asked.

"She was shot by poachers" He explained. He hurried to the porch where Achilles waited for him. He carefully sat Myriam down and turned away from them, intent on hunting down the poachers now.

"What are you doing, Connor?" Achilles asked him and he turned back to look at the three.

"Those poachers need to be stopped" He said simply.

"Saw the scabs from my hunting bind. Get to that and you shouldn't have any trouble finding them. Its just through the trees a little ways from where you found me" She pointed with her good hand. He couldn't see it, but he was sure he could find it easily enough.

"I'll come with you" Mary told him. "It'll be a good excuse to get more familiar with your rope darts." She handed him two more out of her pockets and the two of them set off.

He didn't expect her to be able to keep up with him; after all she was quiet old. But she did and she did it gracefully. She wasn't as fast at climbing trees as he was now, but she was still quick enough that he could tell her reflexes had not dimmed in her age. She wasn't young anymore, but she wasn't to be underestimated either. They found their way through the trees and to Myriam's hunting bind. It was high enough that when they crouched, the three men walking some ways below didn't seem to even see them.

"I'll take those two" Mary whispered, pointing to the far two that were beginning to split from the group. It seemed the three of them were fanning out. Before Connor could argue, he watched Mary slip off. She climbed deftly down the tree, hopping to one directly over the first man. Quick as a snake she had him hung. She was on the ground now and the other two men were turning.

One lifted his gun and Connor had him hung before his fingers could find the trigger. He dropped the gun with a gag, holding at his throat, trying to get the rope loose. Connor watched as Mary's dagger found purchase in the third man's neck and he fell to the ground bleeding. His body twitched, but Connor could tell he was dead.

He could hear others nearby. He and Mary ducked down and headed back into the trees. The last two were heading towards the camp, unaware of the Assassins in the trees almost above them. They were talking about some lands that Johnson had bought. Connor hesitated, listening. They moved on quickly though; Connor learned that the far one had been the one to shoot Myriam.

He targeted that one, hanging him from a tree. Mary got the others and he looked back at his grizzly work. Four bodies were hanging in the wind, their faces blue from lack of air. He turned, hearing the last one call out for his friends.

"Where are you, lads?" He could hear the man yelling. He was coming this way. It wasn't but a moment before the man spotted his friends' bodies. He saw Connor and Mary standing there as well, looking grim with their hoods up. Connor darted forward before the man had a chance to flee, drawing his dagger and pressing it to the man's throat.

"Shooting strangers in the forest? Is that a common hunting practice where you come from?" He growled at the man.

"N-no…I...I…" The man stuttered, his hands up in surrender. Connor wanted to kill him, but he'd rather send a message.

"Spare me!" He removed his dagger from the man's throat and shoved him. The man stumbled and landed on his backside. "Go! Tell the friends you have left what happened here!"

The man scrambled to his feet and fled as fast as his legs could carry him. Connor watched him until he had disappeared into the bushes and he sighed finally, twisting his hands together. He turned to Mary, wondering what she had thought of that. He had forgotten she was there honestly. Should he have killed the man? Was letting him live the right thing to do? He didn't know.

Mary was just smiling slightly at him, almost like she was proud. She saw him looking and the expression faded from her face. She looked away, but Connor caught the sad look in her eye.

"That was the right thing to do Connor. Mercy is always a good option, if it is an option" She told him. She seemed proud, though her face was controlled. He nodded, understanding what she was saying though. He did prefer mercy, when it could be offered.

Without another word, the two of them turned and walked back to the manor, leaving the bodies swaying in the trees like macabre warning signs. Connor could only hope it kept trouble from resurfacing.


End file.
